Berth for ships.



No. 671,767. Patented Apr. 9, I901.

3H. KAISER.

BERTH FOR SHIPS.

(Applicatiqn filed Nov. 2B, 1900.) v (No Model.) 2 Shasta-Sheet I.

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No. 67l,767. 7 Patented AM. 9, l90l. H. muses.

BERTH FOR SHIPS.

. (Application filed Nov. 28, 1900.)

(No'IIod eI.)' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HEINRICH KAISER, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MAX MOELLER, OF SAME PLACE.

BERTH FOR SHIPS.

SPECIFECATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 671,767, dated April 9, 1901- Application filed November 28, 1900. Serial No. 37,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: zontal supportingrods C, which are sup- Be it known that I, HEINRICH KAISER, a ported in suitable bracket-sleeves 0 that are citizen of the United States, residing in Hoattached to the front wall. To the supportboken, in the county of Hudson and State of ing-rods O C are applied railings D D, which 5 New Jersey, have invented certain new and correspond in length to the space between the usefullmprovementsinBerths forShips, &c., brackets a a, said railings being provided of which the following is a specification. with sleeves d d, that fit on the supporting- This invention has reference to an imrods 0 C, and are arranged in such manner proved berth for ships, V sleeping cars, and that they can be readily placed on the project- IO other applications,in which the front of the ing ends of the horizontal bars or removed berth is provided with a railing that can be therefrom. The sleeves d d of the railings used as a ladder for giving convenient ingress D D form with the projecting ends of the horito and egress from the berth and security zontalbarsahinge connection,sothattherailagainst falling out of the berth in stormy ingsDDcan be moved from the raised posi- 15 weather; and the invention consists in the tion (shown in Fig. l) to the lowered position. combination, with a'ships or other berth, of (Shown in Fig. When the railings are in a supporting-rod attached to the front wall of raised position, they are retained, by means the same and a railing hinged and swiveled of pivoted catches d d, on the front wall of r to said supporting-rod and adapted to be the berth, while when they are in lowermost 7o 20 placed in position as a railing for the berth or position they are retained bya suitable spring in position as aladder for getting in or out of or gravity catch (1 The catches d and d the same; and the invention consists, further, hold the railing on the front walls and prein certain details of construction and combivent the getting loose of the same. Alongside nations of parts, which will befully described ofthe pivoted fastening devices (1' are ar- 25 hereinafter and finally claimed. ranged stop-pins d on which the pivoted fas- In the accompanying drawings, Figure l telling-pieces d are supported when the railrepresents a front elevation of a ships berth, ing is to be lowered, as shown in the upper showing my improved railing in raised posipart of Fig. 3. The railings are provided at tion on the same. Fig. 2 isaperspective view their upper corners with hooks d for pre- 0 showing the swivel connection of the railing venting disengagement of the fastening dewith the supporting front bar of the berth, so vices 61 as to permit its use as a ladder. Fig. 3 is a One sleeve 61 is connected by aswivel-joint front view of the berth, showing the railing with the railing. For using the railing as a lowered; and Fig. 4 is a front view showing ladder the sleeve d is shifted along the hori- 5 the railing in position as a step-ladder. zontal supporting-rod C until it arrives about Similar letters of reference indicate corremidway on the same, while it is simultanesponding parts. ously turned on its swivel into inclined and Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the lowered position until it arrives on the floor, front wall of the upper and A the front wall when it is placed at the proper inclination 40 of the lower berth ofa steamship or other vestoward the front wall of the berth, so that it sel, sleeping-car, or similar structure. The can be used as a ladder for getting into the front walls A A of the berth are provided at upper berth. the ends with inwardly-projecting bracket- The railing is intended to be used for the shaped portions a for the purpose of reducing lower as well as for the upper berth of a ship, 5 5 the length of the open front of the berth. The sleeping-car, due, only with the diiference height of that portion of the front wall bethat the lower railing is not required to be tween the brackets 0t ais made approximately lowered for use as a ladder, being only used equal with the height of the spring-bottom as a railing. For this purpose it is provided mattress in the berth, so as not to extend with sleevesd, .by which it swings on the lower 0 above the mattress. To the front walls A A supporting-rod O, and is locked in raised or of the upper andlower berths are applied horiuppermost position by the pivot-catches cl.

The use of the railing for the lower berth facilitates the entering or leaving of the lower berth, for the reason that the front wall of.-

the same can be lowered to a level with the top, or nearly so, of the mattress, while heretofore the front walls of the lower and upper berths were extended considerably above the level of the mattress, and rendered thereby the ingress and egress to the berth less convenient, as one had to get over the front walls of the berths. 'When it is desired to get into the lower berth, the railing is placed in its lowermost position. After the person has entered the berth the railing is raised and locked in raised position by the gravitycatches. In this position the railing forms a safety device for the berth and prevents falling out of the berth in rough weather.

The manipulation of the railing when used in connection with an upper berth can be readily acquired, as it requires onlya few motions to place the same in position either as a railing or as a ladder. When the railing is desired to be used as a ladder, the catches d d are first removed from the ends of the railing. It is then shifted toward the left, so that the sleeve at that end clears the bar, the sleeve of the swiveled end being moved along the rod until it arrives midway of the berth, upon which the railingis turned on the swiveljoint of the sleeve in downwardly-inclined direction until the free end arrives on the floor and the hook d at the upper end engages the supportingrod, in which position the railing is used as a ladder. A combined railing and ladder for the upper berth and a safety-railing for the lower berth is thus pro- 'vided, by which especially the more convenient ingress to and egress from the upper berth is obtained, which was in the construction of the berths heretofore in use attended with considerable inconvenience.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the front wall of a ships or other berth, of a supporting rod attached to the same, a railing hinged and swiveled to said rod and shiftable longitudinally out of engagement at one end with the same,

and means for locking the railing in position on the front wall of the berth, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the front wall of a ships or other berth, of a supporting-rod attached to the same, and a railing provided with a sleeve applied to said rod, and capable of turning thereon, said railing being piv oted to said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the front wall of a ships or other berth, of a'horizontal supporting-rod attached to the front wall below the edge of the same, a railing provided with sleeves for being placed on said supportingrod, one of the sleeves being connected by a swivel-joint with the railing, and a hook at the corner of therailing opposite to the swivelsleeve, so that. the railing can be shifted on the supporting-rod and then swung into position as a ladder for giving convenient ingress to and egress from the berth, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a ships or other berth, of a supporting-rod attached to the front wall of the same, and a railing hinged and swiveled to said supportingrod, and adapted to be placed in position as a railing for the berth or as a ladder for getting in or out of the same, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the front wall of 'a ships or other berth, of a supporting-rod attached to the same, brackets at opposite ends of the berth, a railing provided with sleeves at its lower part for being placed on the supporting-rod, and swung into raised and lowered position thereon, fastening devices pivoted to the end brackets of the berth, said fastening devicesbeing adapted to engage the ends of the railing, and means at one end of said railing for engaging the supporting-rod when the railing is lowered for use, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

HEINRICH KAISER.-

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, GEORGE GEIBEL. 

